On the off-chance that you didn’t know, I’m a queer Black band nerd from Indianapolis. I only say that because the protagonist of You Should See Me in a Crown, Liz, is also a queer Black band nerd from (near) Indianapolis.

So this is a novel about resilience, friendship, class, and prom. It’s about being unapologetic about not having any effs to give about what people think of you. There’s also a bit of band thrown in – and some things you’ll get if you’re, like me, a Midwesterner (I’m sure you get my love for those ridiculously flat burgers and the super-stringy fries). But don’t worry, if you’re not from the midwest, it’s still a great story.